22.10.2014

Alfatika Aunuriella Dini & Aleksandra Lazareva

Gidden’s structuration theory and information systems researchJones, M. R. & Karsten, H. (2008). MIS Quarterly, 32(1), 127-157

Structuration theory

• a general theory of social organization rather than a theory specific to IS

• the central issue in the theory is relations between an individual (agency) and society (structure), and the idea is that the two are mutually interdependent

• Giddens didn’t focus on technology in his theory, but it’s believed to have a lot of potential in IS research

• the idea is not that technology can’t have any influence on society, but that its effect depends on what humans do with it

• it’s been one of the most influential theoretical paradigms in IS recently

AST• if group interaction processes don’t correspond to the

structural features of the technology, outcomes are less predictable and probably less favorable

Duality of technology• although technology is a material artifact, it should not be

focused on just as a physical object. It should be more like an artifact which is the outcome of human action, something that is created and changed by human, but also used by human to do some action

Use of structuration theory in the IS research

• increasing number of studies are based on secondary literature (IS-specific versions of the theory), which indicates that Giddens’s original ideas are sort of misinterpreted

• there’s no cumulative tradition• only a small part of those works take into account more than

a few key points of Giddens’s theory: mainly the works use the theory generally OR just specific concepts

• Giddens criticizes objectivism and naturalism, but the IS research “assumes an epistemological equivalence between the social and natural sciences” which “is at odds with central principles of Giddens’s position” (Jones & Karsten 2008, p. 145)

Critical engagement with the structuration theory

• How is it possible to use a theory selectively without harming the credibility of the study?

• How to pick the right theory for your study if there are a few theories that cover relevant aspects/ concepts/ processes for your case?

• What may be the reasons for people’s non-use of technology? Can some of those be explained by the structuration theory?

Suggested questions for discussion